Fingers
Active Member
Well, I wasbeginning to think it was me!
Last week, in desperation, I bought another boat! I found a 14ft Fletcher speedboat (not in too bad nick) with a 65Hp 1992 Mercury bolted on the back. The engine needed servicing and a new pivot pin, but it looked sound, and the deal including the speedboat was pretty good. I could put the engine on my boat, spend a weekend fettleing the Fletcher and sell it to recoup some money.
I struck a deal with the boat yard, the engine would be ready mid week (last thurs) and I leave a £200 deposit.
So, come Thursday, no engine or boat. A slight delay, it will be ready Saturday morning I am told. I call in Friday afternoon to be told no chance for Saturday, a week Saturday at the earliest. So I ask for my money back. Thats when the fun started! Plenty of trouble getting my deposit back, not to mention the verbal abuse from the engineer. Anyway, eventually they stump up a refund!
So, Saturday, armed with cash in hand, I make my way to sunny Blackpool, and finally buy a 1996 75Hp Mercury in a private sale. It looks in pretty good nick, and it was still on the boat when I bought it, so not only could I see it running, I could play with it as well.
So it looks like the saga of finding an outboard is finally over, with some belting ups and downs along the way....
I would like to recommend Arnie, of Poolside Mouldings (SeaHog Boats) in Frekleton, Lancs. Always a pleasure to do business with and a non-nonsense chap. On the flip side, Marinetech of Talke Pits, Stoke-on-Trent, let me down badly, and SQM Engineering of Stretford in Manchester, appear to do a nice line in abusing customers.
The next installment will be 'Great White' hunting of Treardur Bay.!
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Last week, in desperation, I bought another boat! I found a 14ft Fletcher speedboat (not in too bad nick) with a 65Hp 1992 Mercury bolted on the back. The engine needed servicing and a new pivot pin, but it looked sound, and the deal including the speedboat was pretty good. I could put the engine on my boat, spend a weekend fettleing the Fletcher and sell it to recoup some money.
I struck a deal with the boat yard, the engine would be ready mid week (last thurs) and I leave a £200 deposit.
So, come Thursday, no engine or boat. A slight delay, it will be ready Saturday morning I am told. I call in Friday afternoon to be told no chance for Saturday, a week Saturday at the earliest. So I ask for my money back. Thats when the fun started! Plenty of trouble getting my deposit back, not to mention the verbal abuse from the engineer. Anyway, eventually they stump up a refund!
So, Saturday, armed with cash in hand, I make my way to sunny Blackpool, and finally buy a 1996 75Hp Mercury in a private sale. It looks in pretty good nick, and it was still on the boat when I bought it, so not only could I see it running, I could play with it as well.
So it looks like the saga of finding an outboard is finally over, with some belting ups and downs along the way....
I would like to recommend Arnie, of Poolside Mouldings (SeaHog Boats) in Frekleton, Lancs. Always a pleasure to do business with and a non-nonsense chap. On the flip side, Marinetech of Talke Pits, Stoke-on-Trent, let me down badly, and SQM Engineering of Stretford in Manchester, appear to do a nice line in abusing customers.
The next installment will be 'Great White' hunting of Treardur Bay.!
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